The startup of an early production system by Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) from Buzios field in the Santos basin represents the first large-scale and longest-running production operations from Brazil’s Transfer of Rights area.
Transfer of Rights is a contract with the Brazilian federal government authorizing Petrobras to carry out oil and gas exploration and production of up to 5 billion boe in certain Santos presalt areas with related payments to the government.
Buzios lies 200 km offshore Rio de Janeiro in 1,600-2,100 m of water. Petrobras reported its commerciality in December 2013.
Buzios will be produced using the Dynamic Producer floating production, storage, and offloading vessel, which is interconnected to well 2-ANP-1-RJS. Average production will be limited to 15,000 b/d of oil due to issues limiting gas utilization.
The early production system will enable Petrobras to produce for a 6-month period and gather information to enhance the field’s first permanent production system using platform P-74, currently in the final phase of conversion at the Inhauma shipyard in Rio de Janeiro.
The hull of Petrobras’ P-76 FPSO, meanwhile, has arrived at the Inhauma shipyard. Slated to operate in Buzios III field, the 332-m-long P-76 will be capable of producing 150,000 b/d of oil, storing 1.4 million bbl of oil, and compressing 7 million cu m/day of natural gas.
Construction work and installation will take place onsite alongside P-74 hull conversion.
Upon completion of P-76 hull conversion, scheduled for the third quarter, the FPSO will be transported to Pontal do Parana, where modules of an oil and gas processing plant will be assembled and installed.
